/begin/ ROADMAP TO SETTLEMENT OF SPACE Ad Astra articles (Jan/Feb 2001) outlined by Chris Churchill I. NSS VISION - The Ultimate Goal People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth. II. NSS MISSION - The Purpose To promote social, economic, technological, and political change, to advance the day when humans will live and work in space III. NSS RATIONAL - The Importance A. Survival i. survival of the Human Species ii. survival of Earth's biosphere .B. Growth i. new habitats for life ii. new frontiers for humanity C. Prosperity i. improved standards of living ii. economic opportunity iii. technological development IV. NSS PRINCIPLES - The Stance A. Human Rights i. promote fundamental rights of all human beings B. Ethics i. observe, practice, and promote ethical conduct C. Settlement i. actively pursue settlement beyond Earth ii. precursors are scientific inquiry and exploration D. Pragmatism i. promote/support all methods/practices supporting NSS Principles V. NSS BELIEFS - The Ideals A. Individual Rights i. every human being given freedom of thought and action B. Unrestricted Access to Space i. every human being allowed opportunity to travel, live, and/or work in outer space C. Personal Property Rights i. every human being allowed opportunity to own property in space and/or other worlds D. Free Market Economics i. humanity's prosperity best ensured if "free market" drivers of competition and profit used E. Government Funding of High-Risk R&D i. humanity's prosperity best ensured if national governments fund research and development of space technologies deemed too "high-risk" by respective countries F. International Cooperation i. humanity's survival and prosperity best ensured if nations cooperate on space research and development and leave competition to individual companies G. Democratic Values i. humanities growth and prosperity best ensured if fundamentals of democracy incorporated by space settlements H. Enhancement of Earth's Ecology i. a goal/benefit of space settlement is restoration and enhancement of Earth biosphere L Protection of New Environments i. a goal is to safeguard alien life forms, natural wonders, and historical monuments VI. MILESTONES TO SPACE SETTLEMENT A. Commercial Launch Volume i. development of sizable launch market ii. single stage to orbit, turnaround time of day or less, using off the shelf technology iii. costs reduced from $1000/lb to below $100/lb iv. free-market competition; retire current shuttle program V. space tourism critical for creating market for space settlement B. Legal Protection of Property Rights i. provide risk security for off-Earth settlers ii. successful ventures legally rewarded private ownership- incentive for risk taking iii. new legal paradigm required to override current laws that forbid national claims for sovereignty over bodies in space C. Land Grants or Other Incentives i. encourages private investment on off-Earth settlements ii. land tracts large enough for subdivision and resale D. Technology for Self-Sufficiency i. technology/tools needed to settle, survive, and prosper ii. colonies need to be independent of resupply of sir, water, power, shelter, basic food iii. colonies need manufacturing, servicing, maintenance, and repair technologies- automation/robotics iv. research needed on closed ecological life support systems Moon A. Robotic Confirmation of Ice i. robotic missions to determine nature/extent of water deposits on poles ii. water used for propellant production and life support B. Research Facility i. long term use- study human habitation and conduct lunar research ii. development, testing, and training for Mars missions iii. implement radiation shielding/sheltering C. Government/Industry Base i. research facility evolve from government to industry based ii. encourage early industry investment and involvement iii. need well defined technological initiatives early on D. Moon Settlement i. settlement will grow from commercializing the Moon ii. first long-term residence will be support personnel for hospitality businesses (i.e. hotels, casinos) iii. 10-20 years of this phase before moving toward broader settlement Mars A. Mission Goal for Settlement i. first missions must be settlement minded- not "flags and footprints" minded ii. must be adopted soon, before detailed mission planning begins B. Robotic Exploration i. need to proceed human exploration ii. develop understanding of resources and assessment of biological risks, including - Mars contaminants returned to Earth - contamination of Mars biota by humans iii. on-site propellant production pioneered robotically C. Research Facility i. Mars mission likely involves a 1+ year stay ii. system failure would likely be fatal iii. require prior low-Earth orbit and Moon testing missions D. Human Exploration of Mars i. humans to follow robots after Moon tests ii. a permanent base should be established iii. conduct scientific experiments and research/develop further self-sufficiency technology E. Mars Settlement i. settlers will follow the first explorers ii. need to develop fully reusable space transportation system iii. settlement implies no plans for return and requires indigenous food growth; long term survival and minimum quality of life should be assured iv. financial cost of settlement high at first; need to cover first settlers travel expenses Other Destinations A. Exploration & Settlement of Asteroids i. use robots to identify asteroids for potential settlement; human exploration follow to confirm robots; settlers follow to exploit commercial opportunity ii. asteroid resources include metals, non-metals, and volatiles iii. settlers will be prospectors, engineers, and miners B. Construction of O'Neill Habitats i. cities in space will be built; giant space stations ii. crops, houses, villages, and cities iii. "gravity" will be centrifugal acceleration To the Stars A. New Physics Propulsion i. must be developed to carry humans to the stars; solar electric systems lose solar "fuel" as distance squared ii. alternatives to study include - compact efficient fusion - matter anti-matter - gravitational physics (GR) iii. will open up Mars transportation windows by eliminating optimal "low-energy" transport available only at Mars-Earth alignments iv. success measured by quantum increase in specific impulse and in thrust-to-weight performance VII. BARRIERS TO SPACE SETTLEMENT (to be fleshed out) Social Barriers A. Lack of Public Interest B. Proposed Passenger Restrictions C. Perceived Risk of Space Activities Economic Barriers A. No Long-term Government Funding Mechanism B. Lack of Incentives for Private Capital Investment C Liability Insurance Cost and Conditions . Technological Barriers A. Lack of Affordable Transportation to Space B. No Closed-loop Life Support System C. Launch Vehicle Reliability Political Barriers A. U.S. National Space Policy Limitations B. Government Obstacles to Commercialization C. Lack of Sovereignty D. Moon Treaty and "Common Heritage" Principles /end/